Individuals today use many different electronic devices to make telephone calls. For example, a single person may regularly use a mobile telephone or smart phone, a landline telephone in their home and a landline telephone at their place of work. Each of these devices has its own features such as its own telephone number, its own voicemail and its own missed call notification arrangements. Internet based telecommunication systems such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) allow communications through computers, such as laptops and smart phones, using services such as Skype (registered trade mark).
Both software and hardware have been used to improve the functionality of telecommunication systems.
An example of software features that give greater functionality to an individual electronic device or phone is provided as part of the Apple iOS 7 operating system for use, for example, on an Apple iPhone (registered trade mark) smart phone.
One example feature that is provided by the Apple iOS 7 operating system is a reminders function. The reminders are alarms that remind the user of the phone on which the operating system is installed on to do something. The reminders may be location based. That is to say, an alarm is triggered when the phone is in a particular location. This is achieved by the operating system interrogating the integrated global positioning system (GPS) of the smart phone on which it is installed. The reminders may also be triggered at a particular time. A reminder may be, for example, to ring home when leaving the office, which will be displayed on the display of the smart phone.
Another example feature provided by the Apple iOS 7 operating system is a particular missed call return arrangement. With this arrangement, if a call is received by the phone, but not answered, software as part of the operating system on the phone provides options for returning the call including returning the call to the same number using the telephone network on which the phone is subscribed or returning the call using the Apple FaceTime (registered trade mark) videotelephony application. Also using the contacts feature provided, they have this choice, as well as the ability to send a message (either using the instant messaging service iMessage or an SMS text).
One example of a hardware-based system that integrates mobile phones with desk phones in an enterprise network, so-called fixed-mobile convergence, is produced by Tango Networks, of Frisco, Tex., United States. The Tango Networks Abrazo product enables enterprise users to use their mobile phone and work landline phone interchangeably, for example, such that they only have one voicemail box, one caller identification (ID) when they call out, and they can always be contacted on the same number whether they are using their mobile phone or work landline phone. This is achieved by giving a user's mobile phone and desk phone the same identity. In other words, the user's mobile phone and desk phone are clones. Thus, by way of example, if the mobile phone number is called and it rings the user's desk phone also rings.
This system has a bespoke server in the mobile telephone network that a mobile phone using the service uses and a bespoke server at a PBX (private branch exchange) on the enterprise phone system with a communication connection between the two servers. The system effectively intercepts phone calls at the trigger level, which enables the type of functionality described above to be carried out.
While this system is effective, once installed, it is very inflexible. It only works for enterprises with PBXs, which is generally only very large enterprises. Furthermore, it requires integration into the “core” layer of the mobile network. This requires the cooperation of mobile network operators. In addition, to make changes to the system, significant hardware additions need to be made.
Several arrangements with very limited and inflexible functionality can be found in the patent literature prior art as explained below.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,139,370 assigned to Nortel Networks Limited describes a communication system that uses hyperlinks, each associated with a URL (uniform resource locator), to establish call sessions. The hyperlinks point to telephone numbers to be used for establishing call sessions.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,593,355 assigned to Cisco Technology, Inc. describes a method and apparatus in which URLs are mapped to phone numbers. A caller enters a phone number into their phone and then the number is routed to a mapping service that maps the phone number to a URL. The URL is routed to the caller's phone and the caller can access the URL through an HTTP server in order to carry out a VoIP call.
Korean patent application with publication No. KR20087883 in the name of LG Electronics Inc. describes an apparatus and method for storing a callback URL in a mobile terminal so that a user can access a desired call-back URL site.